Calm Before the Storm
by Ninja-Consultant
Summary: After the events that took place on New Genesis and Apokalyps, there is a lull where Superboy and Match take care of things that are not quite so urgent. Four independent stories. Completed.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: DC Comics owns all rights to the characters within. They are used without permission and not meant to infringe on copyrights or meant to generate income.

Also, if you have not read my other stories, it would be helpful to do so before reading this one. The chronology goes: Brothers in Arms, Where Do We Go From Here, Tragedies of the Past, Betrayal From Within, Future Sins, Reestablishing Bonds, Parents and Children, New Allies, Rivals or Friends, Public Enemy Number One, Double Date, Mind Games, Solar Complications, Mentors and Pupils, and Brother Against Brother.

Calm Before the Storm—Separate Paths

Location: Titan's Tower

Kon woke up Saturday morning at Titan's Tower. He knew there was something different about the day because the aroma of a fresh baked breakfast wasn't there. Max continued to cook for everyone on the weekend, much to the Titan's delight.

He splashed some water on his face and went down to the conference room. A variety of fresh fruits were there, along with some rolls and pitchers of juice. Also on the table was a note.

Conner poured himself a drink and grabbed a roll to eat while he read the note. Sure enough, it was from Max saying that he had something he needed to deal with and that he'd be back by noon on Sunday.

Since he was the first one awake, Conner read the newspaper. It was not a regular occurrence for him to be the only one active in the tower, but since he was used to getting up early on the farm, he usually woke up a couple of hours before most of the Titans. Robin was a late-riser because of his nocturnal lifestyle; Cassie liked sleeping in; Bart and Gar usually goofed around late and got up late; and Raven might be up, but she spent time meditating in her room before joining the others.

Kon missed the laid back atmosphere that they had when they were Young Justice but had to admit that they were much more focused and better heroes as the Titans.

Location: a deserted warehouse

He looked over the troops he had gathered and smiled under his mask. He normally worked alone, but he admitted that he couldn't deal with the Titans by himself. That was why he had gathered them.

"Prepare yourselves," he said. "In three hours, we strike."

Location: Titan's Tower, top level

Robin and Cyborg both looked a bit peeved when they learned of Match's absence. They were both annoyed at the fact that he managed to conceal everything from the Tower's systems than him not being there.

Alarms went off in the Tower. The Titans ran to the computer room to see what was wrong. An incoming object was headed towards the Tower at incredible speeds. It was moving too fast for anyone to recognize it, except Kid Flash.

"It's Inertia," he said, clenching his fists.

"Who's that?" Wonder Girl asked.

"He's my version of Match, except he's still bad and is kind of a psychopath."

"So, you have a bombastic clone?" Kon asked. "I'm shocked, shocked."

"Maybe he's turning over a new leaf," Robin offered. "He can't be a match for all of us. Maybe he wants to redeem himself."

Kid Flash looked skeptical. "We'll see how he enters."

The cameras showed Inertia planting something at the doors and then retreating a distance away. The reason became apparent when the item exploded, leaving a gaping hole in the Tower. A cloaked ship then landed and several familiar faces entered the Tower. Conner recognized Devastation, Deathstroke, and Knockout among them.

"Looks like they're not here for redemption," Kon said. "This is going to be messy."

Location: Titan's Tower, lower level

Slade Wilson kept his body tense and ready for action. He had organized this group to deal with the Titans. He didn't really trust any of them, but they all had their own reasons for wanting to fight them.

"Where are you, pup?" Knockout called out. "I'm here to take you back!"

Slade resisted the urge to shake his head in disgust. Knockout wanted to deal with Superboy, Inertia wanted revenge on Kid Flash, and Devastation wanted to kill Wonder Girl. Kukri, a young member of the League of Assassins, wanted to test his skills against Robin. Rose wanted revenge on Raven since she had messed with Joseph's soul, and he killed Wintergreen using Slade's body. That left Beast Boy and Speedy for Slade to deal with.

Slade frowned. Rose was acting irrationally, and he hoped that this assault would get it out of her system. This was mostly to get her issues dealt with, though the others of his impromptu team did not know that.

He sighed. He was getting too old for this.

Location: Titan's Tower, top level

Kon winced at hearing Knockout's voice. Her betrayal had really hurt him, and hearing her voice brought back all sorts of memories that he wished he could forget. It also didn't help that Wonder Girl was giving him a look.

"She's mine," Cassie said in no uncertain terms.

"Got it," he said. "I'll take Devastation then."

The villains had split up to search for their individual opponents, so the Titans had a good idea of where they'd be. Cassie went to intercept Knockout, and Conner went after Devastation.

"What are you doing here?" demanded Devastation. "You're not the one that I want!"

"Sorry, this is how we decided to deal with it," he said as he knocked her back with a blast of heat vision.

Secretly, he was glad things had turned out the way they did. Devastation had powers on par with Wonder Woman, and Conner wasn't sure that Cassie could take her. While he was the underdog in this fight, he had a few tricks that he could use.

He heard the other Titans engage their opponents, but he trusted them to take care of them while he fought his opponent. She lunged after him a couple times, but he dodged. He could tell that she had a lot of natural ability, but she hadn't really trained. Silently, he thanked his brother for insisting on training; it was going to be handy.

Kon took advantage of an opening to throw her through a wall. She barely noticed it and lashed out with her lasso of thorns. He had guessed this was coming and ducked under it.

"I like to stay away from thorns, thank you," he quipped.

She charged him, and, in a move that would do Robin proud, he flipped over her and swept out with a kick, bringing her crashing to the floor.

"You'll pay for that!" she snarled as she got up.

On one hand, Conner knew that he should feel guilty about hurting a girl. On the other hand, Devastation was a vicious supervillain who could break him in two if she got her hands on him. He decided to delay any feelings of guilt until after the fight.

She charged him again, expecting him to try the same move and ready with a counter. This time, Conner ducked under her arms and landed a blow on her stomach. She lashed out and connected. This time it was Superboy who went crashing through a wall.

Kon shook his head to clear it of any fuzziness as he rolled to his feet and leapt back. It turned out to be a good move since Devastation's foot came down hard where his head was a moment ago. He berated himself for getting sloppy.

He heard a familiar sound of electrical discharge in the distance. He half-smiled; Cassie had probably just taken care of her opponent.

"You won't be smiling when I get my hands on you," Devastation hissed.

"Just try it."

She sprang forward with her hands outstretched and then came to a sudden halt. Superboy had wrapped her in his telekinetic field.

"I'll break this grip and then you!" she screamed.

"I don't think so. I had to get you in a position where you couldn't muster enough resistance to do that. You finally complied."

Wonder Girl came over. "I see you've got her frozen."

By this time, Devastation was cursing loudly in Greek.

"Time for you to go to sleep," Cassie said as she zapper her with her lasso.

Location: Titan's Tower, top level

Slade frowned. Most of his team was down. He had kept Speedy and Beast Boy off balance and then used a smoke grenade to lose them. He found Rose trying to stab Raven.

"Bring Joey back so I can kill him!" she screamed.

"I'm not going to do that, Rose," Raven replied. "He's imprisoned and never going to get out."

"Will you swear to that?" Slade asked as he caught his daughter's arm before she made another futile attempt at hitting Raven with her sword.

"I will," Raven said simply, sensing the emotions in him.

"Rose, honey, he's not going to get out."

"How can you be satisfied with that?" Rose demanded. "Wintergreen was more important to you than he was to me!"

"He was, but the one who killed him is never coming back. I know Raven, and I know she keeps her promises. We have to go."

"I guess the rest of our team is down?"

"Kukri's still having fun with Robin, but the rest are done. If we don't go now, we're in trouble."

Rose nodded, and Slade pushed a button, teleporting them away.

Raven stood up. "Do you disagree with my choice, Conner?"

Superboy stepped into the room. "Nah. Deathstroke was more worried about his daughter than anything else. You know him better than I do, and if you decided to let him go, I'm okay with it. I just wish that he found a less destructive form of therapy for Rose."

"Thank you. How are the others?"

"They're all fine. Cassie went to help Robin, but I don't know if he really needed it. It sounded like his opponent just wanted to get a sense of him."

Location: Titan's Tower, conference room

Match came back to Titan's Tower exactly when he said he would. He looked around at the gaping holes in the building from the fight. There was rubble scattered almost everywhere.

"I take it that you were busy in my absence," he said.

Conner looked at him and did a double-take. Instead of his normal outfit, Match was wearing black leather and had mussed hair. He also smelled like smoke.

"Did you go out partying all weekend?" Conner asked his brother.

In response, Match turned on the television and clicked to a news channel. It was reporting on how a fire at an office building revealed that it was really a H.I.V.E. base and that authorities were able to arrest the members of that cell.

"I was busy too," he said.

-----

A character who had a brief appearance here will play a much larger role in the third chapter.

Any and all comments welcome!


	2. A Visit with Friends

Disclaimer: DC Comics owns all rights to the characters within. They are used without permission and not meant to infringe on copyrights or meant to generate income.

Calm Before the Storm—A Visit with Friends

Location: the Kent's farm

Since Titan's Tower had suffered serious damage, the Titans were not going to gather for the foreseeable future. That meant Conner and Max would stay at the farm.

"Maybe I should invite Tim over," Conner mused out loud.

"You should," Max said. "It would be nice to see him."

"I don't think Batman would let him."

"Batman seems a bit more relaxed these days. He might allow it. There's no harm in asking."

"Aren't you the one who believes you should never ask a question unless you know the answer?"

"These are different circumstances. Also, what makes you think I don't know the answer?"

Conner looked up and saw Max giving him that smile which said he was a couple steps ahead of whoever he was talking to.

"You have an ulterior motive," Conner accused him. "Spill it."

"Batman's been acting a little oddly around me. I was hoping to pump Tim for information. Also, if you have a friend stay over, there's really no reason why I can't have a friend over as well, right?"

"So, you're trying to piggyback your goals on to my request. You're being sneaky and efficient. My hat's off to you, Mr. Kent."

"Why, thank you, Mr. Kent. I look at it as allowing everyone to win."

Location: the Kent's farm, just prior to the visit

Permission was sought and granted. Invitations were issued, and, to Kon's surprise, Tim could come. He had hoped that he'd be able to see his friend but didn't think he would.

Kon also admitted to himself that his first choice of someone to invite was Cassie, but he knew that the Kents wouldn't allow that. He also knew that Cassie had gotten in trouble with her mother over their date, so that would have been two sides saying no.

The Kents were worried about how clean the house was, so they did the unthinkable: they gave Max full responsibility for cleaning and the ability to enforce anything regarding the cleanliness of the house. It resulted in the strong smell of lemon cleansers and bleach. Conner had to admit that the place looked spotless, even though Max hounded him over any time he even thought about leaving something out of place.

The Kents were worried because accompanying Tim was Alfred Pennyworth, a real English butler. Their worry about disappointing him was unfounded, as he seemed to Conner to be a very warm and charming man.

Dan came over, and introductions were made. Tim seemed a little surprised that he seemed to be more Max's friend than Conner's because Max was the more reserved of the brothers, and Dan's temperament seemed to be the opposite of his.

"Tim, you're a martial artist, aren't you?" Dan asked.

Max gave Dan a light tap on the head. "I already know what you're thinking. No."

Tim looked confused. "I've studied some, but what are you talking about? I'm missing the joke."

Conner filled him in. "Dan challenged Max to a fight the first time they met. To my horror, Max accepted and knocked Dan out. Max now teaches us martial arts moves after school."

"Ah," Tim said. "Isn't it kind of dangerous to go around challenging other martial artists to fights, though? Some of them can be deadly."

"That's why I'm breaking him of this habit," Max said.

"How else was I supposed to find out how good you were?" Dan argued. "There isn't any sort of dojo here, so unless you went around beating people up, I wasn't going to see you in action."

"I believe that Jonathan and Martha might object if I went around beating up people."

Conner laughed. "That's an understatement."

"If you must know, Tim's better than you are," Max said. "He's not as good as me, though."

"Is that a challenge?" Tim asked.

"Let me translate that," Conner said with a smile. "'It's on!'"

Max shook his head. "It's simply reality. You're very good and have been trained by some of the best in the world. I have as well, except I've spent a greater proportion of my time on it."

Tim hesitated before answering. "I did hear that you beat Cassandra, and I haven't been able to touch her, so you're probably right."

"Is this the same Cassandra that's Conner's girlfriend?" Dan asked.

"She's a different one," Conner said. "She's a friend too, but one that we know through Tim."

"Oh!" Dan said. "Is she your girlfriend?"

"It's nothing like that," Tim said. "My girlfriend...I guess she was my ex at the time...she passed away."

Dan looked crestfallen. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to bring it up."

"It's okay. I'm getting over it...a bit. What about you? Do you have a girlfriend?"

"No, but I'm dating Max."

Tim looked at Dan, then at Max, and back to Dan again. He shook his head.

"I didn't even know Max was in a relationship. Why didn't you say anything?"

"It just never came up," Max said. "Things have also been busy. Everyone would have bothered me for photos."

"This is more of the intensely private Max in action," Conner said. "He ran away this summer for nearly two months before returning like nothing had happened."

"Did you really?" Dan asked.

"There were some things I needed to do," Max replied.

Location: the Kent's farm, in the barn

Max was exchanging pleasantries with Alfred in the kitchen while he prepared dinner. Conner, Dan, and Tim were talking in the barn.

"So, where are you from, Tim?" Dan asked.

"I'm from Gotham," he replied. "I was in Bludhaven for a few months and lived in Central City after the quake, but Gotham's been where I've lived for the rest of my life."

"Gotham sounds like a pretty cool place," Dan said. "I've been around the Midwest, but Smallville is as rural as it's been for me. I've spent more time near cities."

"Why'd your family move around?"

"My dad would change jobs if I got into trouble too much. People haven't always reacted very well to what I am, and I used to get beat up for it."

Tim winced. "Sorry to bring it up."

"It led to him coming here, so at least there's a happy ending," Conner said.

"I just want to ask if it's a good idea to let Alfred in the kitchen," Tim said. "He can be very particular about how food is prepared. He once told me I was spreading peanut butter incorrectly and spent fifteen minutes teaching me the 'proper' way of doing it."

"Max tends to banish others from the kitchen while he's in it," Conner said. "He's also very particular about things, so I'm a little surprised that he hasn't thrown him out. I tried to taste something from one of his pots once, and he smacked my hand with a wooden spoon. He told me that if I tried something like that again, he's pistol whip me with it."

Tim looked concerned. "So Alfred could be lying unconscious on the floor? Maybe we'd better take a look to see if they're all right."

The three went to the kitchen and peeked inside. Despite any worries they may have had, Alfred and Max were chatting amiably and cooking together. Neither Conner nor Tim had ever seen one of them working with anyone else in the kitchen.

Max turned to them. "Is there something the matter? Would you like your drinks refilled?"

"We just wanted to see how things were going," Conner said.

"Master Maxwell is quite skilled," Alfred said. "It's very refreshing to meet a young person who knows his way around the kitchen and how to prepare dishes."

"You're being too kind, Mr. Pennyworth," Max said. "I had never heard of the substitutions that you recommended until today. Those will allow me to make some dishes that I haven't been able to attempt."

"These two were under the impression that you were territorial when it came to the kitchen," Dan said.

Conner winced. He had forgotten about Dan's outspoken nature.

Max laughed. "Was Conner exaggerating again?"

"I believe Master Tim sometimes omits details from his stories," Alfred said. "Sometimes those details make quite a large difference."

Location: the Kent's farm, the kitchen

After a delicious dinner, Tim went to help Max with the dishes while Conner and Dan went to pick out a movie. They had instructions to pick out something everyone would like, but Max knew that they'd get some sort of action flick.

As they were cleaning, Max saw his opportunity to pump Tim for information. "How are Bruce and Richard?"

"They're doing fine," Tim replied. "Bruce has relaxed quite a bit. It makes things a bit less stressful. He wanted me to invite you to Gotham."

"I'm sure that it would do Conner and me some good to see the sights in Gotham. It sounds like a good idea."

Tim hesitated. "He was very insistent that I invite you. He said it was okay if Conner came, but he specifically wants to talk to you."

Match continued to wash the dishes. "Did he say why? Is it something that I've done? He has seemed a little different lately."

"He hasn't said anything to me about why. He's been going over the files of a lot of the younger heroes lately, and he's focused on yours a lot."

Max was silent for a moment as he continued to wash. "I suppose that he'll discuss the matter with me when we come to visit. I apologize for any inconvenience or trouble this may cause."

He continued in a lighter tone. "Are you ready for a truly awful action film with a hilariously bad plot and dialogue?"

"How do you know what Kon and Dan are getting? They could surprise you."

Just then, Conner and Dan returned with a DVD from the rental store.

"We're back!" Conner called out. "I think you're going to like what we've got!"

"Welcome back!" Max said. "What did you get?"

"It's a special treat," Dan said eagerly. "I've heard about this one and have wanted to see it for a while. It's Legends of the Drunken Masters of Monkey Kung-Fu, Part 2!"

Tim winced. "You were right."

Max gave him a resigned smile. "It should be good for a laugh."

Location: the Kent's farm, the barn

After the movie, the four teens went to the barn and spent a few hours talking. Conner and Max's room wasn't large enough to accommodate all of them, so mattresses had been set up in the barn for them. After a couple of them started yawning, they decided to go to sleep.

After they had settled down, Tim took a look around, and his eyes widened. He turned to Conner.

"They're spooning!" he whispered.

Conner looked a little blasé about it. "They've done more than that. Just leave them alone."

"I don't think you and Cassie have spooned in front of others at the Tower."

Conner felt himself blush. "Let's just go to sleep."

Location: the Kent's farm, the house

The next morning, Tim got to experience a Max-designed workout. He was in very good shape, but he was used to moments of explosive action over the course of a long time while Max wanted a consistently high level of exertion over a shorter amount of time. Tim got through it, but was tired. His one consolation was that both Conner and Dan were winded as well.

"How often do you do this?" Tim gasped.

"I do it every day, but the others here only have endurance training twice a week," Max answered. "Unfortunately, they seem to have lost a little bit of it today."

"I'm not used to doing this so early in the morning," Conner complained. "You may be used to running a marathon at these hours, but I'm not."

"This is hours after I'm used to doing this. Also, this is nowhere near as long as a marathon."

"That's Max," Dan said. "He's like that."

"I don't think it's that unusual to have a regular time that you do something. There's nothing wrong with having a schedule."

"What do you do when something unexpected happens?" Tim asked.

"I adapt," Max said.

"Some people get so regimented that they cannot adapt," Conner said.

Max smiled. "True. However, I think I've had enough happen that I can adapt as needed."

Location: the Kent's farm, a few hours later

Tim left for Gotham. Alfred gave Conner and Max a formal invitation to Wayne Manor, including airplane tickets. Conner was a little surprised, but he was happy to accept.

Dan got a ride back to his home from Alfred. After everyone left, the Kents finally looked like they could relax. They had been a little uptight about having to watch out for so many teenagers.

"That was fun," Conner declared. "Looks like a trip to Gotham is in the cards within the next few weeks."

"It looks that way," Max said.

-----

Any and all comments welcome!


	3. Path to Redemption

Disclaimer: DC Comics owns all rights to the characters within. They are used without permission and not meant to infringe on copyrights or meant to generate income.

Calm Before the Storm—Path to Redemption

Location: a meeting with Jay Garrick

Match looked calm and collected, as always. In truth, he was tense. He hated it here; this place brought back memories of times he would like to forget. If it hadn't been for a request from Jay Garrick, he would never have come here again.

Match hated the prison for supervillains known as the Slab.

"Thank you for coming, Match," Jay Garrick said.

"I'll do what I can," he replied.

Location: the Slab

Superboy and Kid Flash looked on. Bart had gotten dragged along by Jay, while Kon had come at the request of Match.

"Do you have any idea what's going on?" Kon asked. "Match didn't want to talk about it."

"It has something to do with Inertia," Kid Flash said. "Jay wants Match to talk to him. He hopes that having someone with a lot in common will reform him. I'm not sure Inertia's capable of that, though."

"People can change. Match is living proof of that."

Location: in the corridors of the Slab

A voice called out, "I knew I'd see you again, Match. I didn't think it'd be in this manner, though."

Match stopped and turned to the approaching man. "Hello, warden."

Jay gave Match a quick look. The warden's words told him that he didn't like the one-time inmate. Match projected an attitude of calmness. Jay knew that this wasn't how he was really feeling and regretted that he brought Match to a place that made him uncomfortable. However, he was the best person he could think of to talk to and reach Inertia.

"You don't really think Inertia can be rehabilitated, do you?" the warden asked. "It's impossible."

"Very little in the world is impossible," Match replied.

"It's worth a shot," Jay said. "All I want you to do is to talk to him. If there's any chance at turning him away from his current path, I think it's worth it."

"I'll let you try, but I doubt anything will come of it," the warden said.

Location: the Slab's control room

Superboy and Kid Flash were left in the control room to observe via the security system. It was also because the presence of the two would have incited the inmates; they had been instrumental in putting away a good number of them, whether by themselves or with the Titans.

"So, who is Inertia?" Kon asked. "I know he worked with Deathstroke, but I don't really know anything about him beyond that."

There was a pause before Kid Flash began. "He's my Match. He's a clone of me created by my grandpa in the future. He came back to take my place."

"Did you ever talk to him when you fought? How'd he feel about you?"

"He always seemed very angry. He was always like 'blah blah I'm so superior to you' and stuff like that. He got really pissed off at the people who made him, though."

"Match used to go on about how he was an improved model of me. One of the advantages of him going good is that he doesn't say stuff like that anymore. It used to really piss me off."

"You really think Inertia can go good?"

Kon put his hand on Bart's shoulder. "A year ago, if you had asked me whether I thought Match could go good, I would have said that he couldn't. I'm glad I was wrong about that. I'm not saying Inertia is going to reform, but it's got to be possible."

Location: the Slab, a visiting room

Match had Inertia's file before the incarcerated clone was brought to talk to him. It gave him some hope because Inertia didn't have any disciplinary problems or reported incidents. He was a model prisoner.

When Inertia came into the room, Match's eyes narrowed. He raised his hand to get the warden's attention.

The warden came over with a sour look on his face. "What is it?"

"I want you to place Inertia in a protected section," Match demanded.

"You haven't even talked to him yet. He doesn't need it."

Match's voice became very chilly. "I don't need to talk to him to see that he's been injured. If you really think that a teenager who bears a strong resemblance to a superhero does not need extra protection here, then you're incompetent."

The warden was angry. "I don't take orders from you!"

"Then get me Waller. She'll back me up."

The warden frowned and took out a phone. He punched in a number and waited.

"This is the Slab," he said. "I have a request by Match to speak with the Wall."

He offered Match the phone. He took it.

"Waller, this is Match. I'm calling about the conditions for Inertia. He's been put in the general population without any additional protection. In my experience, that's a mistake."

He listened to the response and handed it over to the warden. "She wants to talk to you."

Match didn't need his enhanced hearing to make out what Amanda Waller was saying; she was shouting loud enough for anyone in the room to hear. The warden paled and nodded, forgetting that she couldn't see that over the line.

"Yes, ma'am," he said. "I'll make the arrangements at once."

He shot Match a dark look before heading off. Match remained impassive. Inertia stared at him. A moment passed.

"Why'd you do that?" Inertia asked. "What's in it for you?"

"I can see that you're hurt," Match replied. "I've been in a similar situation, and I don't think anyone should have to deal with it."

Inertia looked at him warily and waited for him to speak.

"I'm Match," he said, belatedly introducing himself. "What do you prefer to be called?"

"You aren't just going to call me Inertia?" he said in a tone that hinted of challenge.

"If that's what you prefer, I will call you that. You have a given name as well. If you prefer to be called that, I'll use it instead. What is your preference?"

"Thaddeus."

"Very well. Thaddeus, I'm here because it was thought that our similar backgrounds would provide a basis for me to evaluate you."

"Exactly what is this evaluation? I doubt your background is anything like mine; you're Superboy's brother."

"That's technically incorrect. I'm Superboy's clone, created by the Agenda. I was given an enhanced set of skills that allow me to use our shared powers in more advanced applications."

Thaddeus stared intently at Match. "You're like me, then. You're an improvement on Superboy like I'm an improvement on Kid Flash."

Match frowned. "I have different talents and interests than Superboy, but that does not make me an improvement. I suggest you not think of yourself that way because it will always remind you that you're a clone. I am myself first and a clone second."

"That makes no sense. Why can't you just admit that you're a clone and not indulge in the delusion that you're not?"

"I know that I'm a clone, and I admit it. I have just stopped defining myself as one. It allowed me to stop comparing myself to Superboy and to move on and grow."

Comprehension dawned on Thaddeus' face. "I see what you're getting at. You're saying that I shouldn't limit myself by being Kid Flash's clone. Doing so has inhibited me. However...I've been conditioned to want to destroy him."

"Conditioning can be removed. I used to be conditioned to follow the Agenda. You can overcome limits that were placed on you."

Location: the Slab's control room

Kon and Kid Flash watched the conversation between their clones. Kon felt a little uncomfortable. He realized that this conversation was bringing up a lot of things that Match had chosen to not discuss with him. Kon had gone through his own period of wondering who he really was, but he never had to deal with being a direct copy of another.

Kon noticed Bart looking pensive. That was very unusual for him.

"What's up?" he asked.

A guilty look flashed across Bart's face. "Nothing."

"You need a better poker face than that if you want to fool me."

"I see how you and Match have become really close, but I'm not sure if Inertia and I will ever get along, much less be like brothers. I'm not sure if I'm as forgiving as you."

Kon looked around to make sure no one was listening to them. "If you want the truth, it wasn't easy. He had to save my life before I stopped getting angry at the sight of him. It can still be very difficult to live with him. I think that's just something you can put up with for family."

"When did you get to be this wise?"

"I've been a big brother for a while now. You'll get this sort of wisdom too."

Location: the Slab

Thaddeus agreed to allow the Martian Manhunter to perform a telepathic probe on him to see what could be done about the conditioning. Match scheduled another visit to see him. Inertia looked grateful for that.

As they were heading out of the Slab, the warden approached them. "Do you really think that this is going to work? You can't possibly believe that he can be reformed!"

"That's up to him," Jay Garrick said.

"I don't believe this one has been rehabilitated," the warden said, pointing at Match. "I still have his cell and power nullifier ready."

"You'll never need that," Kon told him.

Match ignored the warden and continued on his way out.

When they reached the outside, Kid Flash asked, "Do you think he's ready to reform?"

Match paused before answering. "No, not yet. I think he may in the future, but it's too early for him at this moment. With time and further discussion, he may. I will allow myself to be cautiously optimistic."

"Why'd you do all that to help him if you don't think he's ready yet?" Jay Garrick asked.

"I've been in his position, only with the skills and will to survive. He would have been mistreated by the inmates. I would have been, except I..."

Knowing his brother, Kon said, "You put the fear of God into them, right?"

"I put the fear of Match into them."

"What did you do?" Kid Flash asked.

"I broke someone's arm."

"You did what?" Jay shouted, outraged.

"I was attacked," Match explained. "I made sure that no one would mistake me for an easy target. I needed an edge, and doing that in front of the other prisoners gave me one. It earned me a week in solitary confinement and brought me to the attention of the Groups."

"Maybe I shouldn't have asked for your help."

"Inertia is apparently not trained in combat outside of the use of his powers. He needed to be placed in a safe area before permanent damage was done. I'll talk with him further, and I'll see how he progresses."

"Is it hard?" Kon asked.

"What do you mean?" Match asked.

"Is it hard to see someone with circumstances so similar to what yours were?"

Match paused before nodding. "I know what he's starting to go through. It wasn't easy for me, and it won't be easy for him. With someone to help him, it can be easier for him to redeem himself, if that's the path he chooses."

"I'm here for you too," Kon said. "You don't just have to be there for him."

Match smiled. "Thank you."

-----

Any and all comments welcome!


	4. Visiting Friends

Disclaimer: DC Comics owns all rights to the characters within. They are used without permission and not meant to infringe on copyrights or meant to generate income.

Calm Before the Storm—Visiting Friends

Location: Gotham City

Max looked out the car's window while Tim and Conner talked. He had been in Gotham before, but only on missions. He had never been invited as a guest. It was an interesting place.

"How was your flight?" Tim asked.

"Fine," Conner replied.

"Unusual," Max said, still staring out the window. "I haven't been on a commercial flight before. I wasn't expecting everything to be so...crowded."

"Only you would call first-class crowded," Conner said. "You're lucky we didn't fly coach!"

"Most enclosed areas are crowded to a mild claustrophobe," Max noted.

"I'm sorry, Master Maxwell," Alfred said. "Are you feeling any discomfort in the car?"

"Everything is fine, Mr. Pennyworth. There's plenty of space here, and I can always get out if there are any problems that arise."

"I wouldn't recommend it, sir. Not with the vulture paparazzi following us."

"I wasn't expecting them," Conner said. "I had no idea you were so popular, Tim!"

Tim made a face. "Believe me; I'm not happy with them following me. I didn't know that being adopted by Bruce would cause them to take an interest in my life."

"You're been playing up the teenage playboy thing, right?" Conner asked with a grin on his face. "Staying out all night, getting into some gaudy outfit, starting fights and then running away before the police come. You're just the epitome of the bad boy heir."

Tim laughed. "I get shot at too."

Max nodded. "There are probably drugs involved in some of the incidents too."

Alfred sighed theatrically. "I do hope that all of your conversations aren't like this. Even an Englishman can only deal with so much."

Location: Wayne Manor

Tim was surprised to see that Bruce was on hand to welcome Conner and Max to the manor. He even turned on the charm and did not give his usual speech about how there was to be no metahuman activity in Gotham.

Conner seemed to be a little awed by his surroundings while Max was silently identifying the artwork. Tim was a bit disappointed that when he revealed Bruce was Batman (Bruce had insisted Tim tell him since it would be obvious and revealing a secret to a confidant was much better than him figuring it out on his own), Conner didn't act very surprised. Tim had a feeling that Conner had figured it out (with Tim's identity revealed, it was not that hard), but had hoped for some sort of a reaction. In truth, Conner was very surprised and honored that it was admitted to him.

"I know you must have some questions," Bruce said, drawing Conner and Max's attention. "Please feel free to ask them."

Conner hesitated. Max had an idea about what he wanted to ask, but it would be very difficult to do. You couldn't really ask where the Bat Cave was.

"Are there any guidelines you have or house rules we should know about?" Max asked. "It would be helpful to know."

Bruce prevented himself from smiling. Max wanted guidelines but his choice of words was leaving open the possibility of ignoring them. He was an excellent candidate.

"Listening to Alfred is the first rule," he said. "Also, he's the one who knows what's really valuable here and what isn't, so if he asks you to not touch something, that's the reason why. You've already had a run-in with the paparazzi; I don't want to give them anything more than I already do. Our hours are flexible here; I usually sleep in."

"I can show you to your rooms," Alfred said. "I'll take your bags there, as well."

"I can manage mine by myself, and I'm sure that Max can as well," Conner said. "I'll unpack now."

"That's a good idea," Max said. "Are there any plans we should know about?"

"I wanted to put you both through an obstacle course," Bruce said. "We also have reservations for an early dinner. Later tonight, I wanted to take you on patrol."

"There's a dress code for the restaurant," Tim informed them. "I have a couple of jackets that should fit you."

"That's shouldn't be necessary," Max said. "I have suits for us in my bag."

"When was this?" Conner asked. "I don't have a suit."

"Yes, you do. I made you one."

"When'd you do that?"

"I did it during the week. I thought it might be possible that you'd need it. I made one for myself, as well."

"They will have to look nice," Tim warned, thinking of his disastrous attempt to sew in his junior high home economics class.

"They should be adequate," Max replied.

Location: The Bat Cave

After putting away their luggage, they were led to the Bat Cave. Kon had seen it before, but Match looked around. He seemed very interested in his surroundings.

"What do you think?" Robin asked.

"It's impressive," Match replied. "It's better lit than I thought it would be. It's also very spacious."

"I'm going to put you through an obstacle course," Batman said. "It's one that I use for training; I'd like to see how you do."

"In that case, I won't use my powers," Match said. "I'll go first."

Batman punched in some commands on the computer. He nodded to Match.

Match entered the course and immediately dodged left to avoid a robotic arm that tried to grab him. He sprang past it and ducked under a bar that swung out at chest level and would have knocked the breath out of him. Ignoring the rope that hung by the wall, Match clambered up the wall, finding the few spots in it that could give him support. At the top, he rolled out of the way of a hail of paintball shots that he guessed were there to simulate gunfire. He gracefully sprinted across a narrow balance beam and dived into a waiting pool. The water was churned to be choppy, but Match was a strong swimmer and made it across. Once out of the water, he made a few acrobatic rolls to get past some robotic tentacles. He reached the end of the course and ducked the whiff of gas that would have gotten him otherwise.

Batman clapped. "Well done. Why didn't you go for the rope?"

Match caught his breath before answering. "I thought it was trapped. Was I incorrect in my assumption?"

"No, but what gave it away?"

"It's what I would have done if I created the course."

Robin shook his head and muttered to Kon, "I can't do this course. I've just been shown up in my own house."

"I don't think I can beat this without my powers," Kon said. "Match is just kind of sick."

"Are you ready, Superboy?" Batman asked.

Kon took a deep breath. "I am. I'm going to use my powers, though. But, no flying."

"If you do use your powers, don't destroy anything," Batman said.

Kon started and knocked things aside. He had a pretty successful run until the balance beam started to retract. Kon was surprised and lost his balance.

"That was pretty good for your first run," Robin said.

"It was a very good first try," Batman said. "It's a very difficult course, and you were putting restraints on yourself. That's to be commended."

Kon made a face. "That would mean a lot more if somebody else didn't just go through the course on his first time without using any powers at all."

"I have more experience in courses like this," Match said. "I also have more skills implanted into me, so you don't have a lot of my advantages."

"My brother, Mr. Perfect. Is there anything I know that you don't?"

"I don't know about pop culture like you do. What's the source of these 'Jedi' references that I occasionally hear the Titans make?"

Kon and Tim were surprised to hear Batman say, "It is a crime that you have no knowledge of the Star Wars movies. I can't believe that Clark has left such a gap in your upbringing. I may have to take it upon myself to correct this."

"I didn't know you were a fan," Tim said.

"I was six when I first saw it. I managed to get a copy of the original film for my birthday. I'll have to see if Alfred knows where it and the projector are."

A monitor beeped. Batman took a look at it.

"We have thirty minutes until we have to leave for our reservation. Let's get ready."

Location: Gotham City, the Golden Palm

Tim was annoyed that Max's homemade suits looked so good. While not as good as Bruce's ridiculously expensive handcrafted one, they looked as good as, if not better than, his. Coming so close to Max's obstacle course run, Tim was feeling a little inadequate.

As they stepped out of the car, the paparazzi took a few photos. Tim had learned to smile through them, especially after the first time a photo of him looking cross had been published. Alfred had offered helpful tips on how to avoid that; tips that Tim suspected had been given to a young Bruce Wayne.

As the four entered the restaurant, a voice called out, "Bruce! Oh, Bruce Wayne, you must sit with us!"

Tim saw the woman behind the voice and suppressed a shudder. She was Jennifer deBromley, a tiresome socialite that was constantly trying to get Tim interested in her teenage daughter. Even if he were not still recovering from Stephanie's death, Maria didn't show an ounce of interest in Tim; she was far more interested in the captain of the football team. Unfortunately, the deBromleys were an important family in Gotham, and Jennifer's husband, Frederick, sat on Wayne Industries' board, so Bruce had to be nice to them.

Bruce gave Tim an apologetic look and led the three teenagers to the table. An additional table was brought over, and Tim found himself in a nightmarish situation. He was seated next to Maria and subject to several comments from her mother on what an adorable couple they would make.

Tim bought himself a few moments reprieve by introducing Conner and Max, but those moments passed quickly. Conner looked amused by what was going on, and Max was inscrutable.

Tim's salvation came from an unlikely source when Max began engaging the matron of the deBromleys in conversation. Apparently, Max had done his homework on them, as he was able to lead her into a discussion of one of her passions, portraits from the Renaissance period. She was so into the conversation that Tim and Maria were able to ignore each other without her noticing. Bruce picked up on what Max did and a small smile crept on his face before he went back to discussing business with Frederick. Conner and Tim were able to talk.

One thing in Max's conversation with Mrs. deBromley caught Tim's attention.

"You have some very continental mannerisms," she noted. "Have you spent much time in Europe?"

Max tensed a bit, but only those familiar with him would have noticed it. "Conner and I were raised by different people. The woman who raised me was Italian, so I've picked up a few of her behaviors."

Conner noticed the exchange and Max's reaction too. He knew that his brother was still sensitive to anything regarding the Contessa. He didn't think that Max was sure if he still had some misguided loyalty to the woman or whether he hated her.

After the meal, Tim went over to Max and murmured, "Thank you."

In the car back to Wayne Manor, Bruce said, "I see you did some research. I wasn't expecting it to cover the Gotham elite."

Max shook his head. "I was involved in breaking up a forgery ring. The name deBromley was mentioned quite often as someone who would likely buy a portrait they believed to be authentic. I also learned how to make a decent copy while on that mission for the Groups."

"Why would the Groups be interested in a forgery ring? Were they trafficking in something else as well? I don't see one as a threat to the world's security."

"The reason was simple: money. The ring was quite successful and there was a great deal of money in its coffers. It was a way to supplement the Groups' funding."

Bruce shook his head. "That's disappointing to hear. It appears that the grand mission of the Groups was very much at odds with their actions."

Location: The Bat Cave

"Robin, you and Superboy patrol the west of Gotham," Batman ordered. "Match and I will take the east."

Robin nodded. "Got it. Come on, Kon, let's go!"

The two left, and Match looked at Batman. He had the feeling that Batman was going to be watching him very closely this evening.

"Are you ready?" Batman asked.

"I am," Match replied.

Location: Gotham City, west side

Kon was struck by how much Robin had to do every night. While there wasn't a major plot in progress to destroy the city, there seemed to be a mob-related crime in progress every twenty minutes. Kon got to take the lead in dealing with a few of these on account of his ability to have bullets bounce off of him.

Robin, for his part, was amazed at how smoothly everything went with Kon's help. He didn't seem to have needed any transition between his normal routine of battling foes with death rays and dealing with mobsters. Word also seemed to be getting out that Superboy was in town, as the later night activities were considerably scaled back from what they normally were.

Location: Gotham City, east side

Match was impressed with the level of sophistication that Batman employed in his patrol. He had always felt that making use of technology would be a boon to most heroes, and Batman's results justified that.

Batman appreciated that Match was able to keep up with him. He had wondered whether a prolonged patrol would cause him difficulties, but the answer was no. Match also kept his use of powers to a minimum, which he had done without any request by Batman. Finally, he understood the psychological tactics that were normally used on patrol; Match had a glare of his own that could cow hardened thugs.

Location: Gotham City, a warehouse

The next morning, a man flipped through the latest paper. His eyes fell upon a picture and a grin spread across his lips. This was exactly what he wanted. It must be a sign.

Location: Wayne Manor, the kitchen

Alfred was unused to a fellow early-riser, though he was happy to have someone to talk to. It helped that Max reciprocated his courtesy and did not meddle in the kitchen without an invitation. No matter how capable another cook may be, Alfred did not appreciate another rummaging through his kitchen without permission. The only exception he had ever made for this rule was Master Dick, and that was because he could not bear to send the boy away to college without some proficiency in preparing food. Master Dick knew where everything belonged and, more importantly, knew where to return everything when he was done.

Alfred knew why Master Bruce had invited Max to the manor. He knew that it wasn't intended as a slight against Master Tim, but he wondered whether Max was really an appropriate choice. The job required a level of intensity that he wasn't sure the boy could summon; really, few people could summon such intensity.

Location: Wayne Manor, Max's guest room

From observation, Max knew that there was some other reason than politeness that he had been invited. Batman's behavior was odd. He had tested him, but Batman seemed pleased at the results, a far cry from the hostility he first exhibited towards him. Max greatly preferred his current behavior, but he could not help but wonder at the reason for the change.

Location: Gotham City

Later in the morning, Tim, Conner, and Max went out. There were some new computer components that Tim wanted to look at, though it was mostly an excuse to get out of the manor and hang out.

After looking at the hardware, they had lunch. While eating, a bunch of thugs burst into the restaurant. Everyone hit the ground as they fired their automatic weapons.

Conner looked at Tim, but he shook his head. There were too many people around for them to change into their costumes.

A man walked in. Tim's eyes narrowed. It was Two-Face. He walked over to where the three teens were and grotesquely smiled at them.

"They're perfect," he said. "Two sides of the same coin, one dark and one light. Grab them."

To Tim's shock, the thugs grabbed Conner and Max, but left him alone. Two-Face placed a letter in his hands.

"If you ever want to see your friends again, your new daddy will pay the ransom I've asked for," Two-Face told him. "Instructions are there."

Two-Face and his thugs left with their two captives.

Location: Wayne Manor

After hearing Tim's description of what happened, Bruce cursed himself for not having thought of the possibility. Harvey Dent's obsession with duality would have been triggered by seeing the paparazzi photos of Conner and Max, they looked like (and were reported as) twins. In retrospect, it was obvious that he'd try to grab them.

It was a little trying to have to sit with the police and be walked through what they should do when contacted. Bruce and Tim knew they could do so much more at Batman and Robin.

Location: Gotham City, Two-Face's warehouse

Conner was worried for Max. The two had been shoved into a small, dark room, and it was triggering Max's claustrophobia. He put his arm around him.

"It's going to be all right," he said soothingly. "We'll get out of this soon."

Location: Wayne Manor

Tim just about sprang out of his seat when they received a video file. Rather than phone calls or video tapes, Two-Face had brought his operation into the digital era and sent a file from a protected IP address.

Two-Face demanded twenty million dollars for the pair and then brought them into the camera's view. Conner looked pissed, and Max looked scared. He was blinking a lot, so Tim guessed they had been kept in a dark room.

Tim noticed that Bruce tensed when he saw the video. While it could have been very easy for the two to deal with their captors, it would have given away their secret identities and most likely Bruce's and his as well.

"We just need to get away," Bruce whispered to Tim. "We can get to where Two-Face and his men are now."

Tim reviewed the video in his mind. It had been shot with a sheet behind it, so here weren't any clues there. It must have been something Conner or Max did.

Tim's eyes widened. He realized how the message was relayed.

Location: Gotham City, Two-Face's warehouse

Conner heard cursing and a few shots. He gathered in his power, ready to use it to defend Max and himself if necessary. There were a few thuds and then the door opened. Robin was on the other side.

Conner heard Max sigh in relief. He was glad to be out of the small room.

"How'd you find us?" Conner asked.

Robin pointed at Max. "Your message was great."

Conner gave his brother a quizzical look. "How'd you do that?"

"I blinked in Morse code," Max explained. "They really should have covered our heads when they took up captive."

Conner laughed.

Location: on the way back to Wayne Manor

After the police came and they gave statements, Conner and Max were picked up by Alfred, Bruce, and Tim.

In the car, Conner said, "Thanks for getting us. It would have been hard to explain if Superboy and Match showed up."

"That was inventive," Bruce said. "Your claustrophobia gave you a series of reactions that you could use to hide the message. That was a very good idea."

"You would have found us soon," Max said. "I just hastened the process."

"You're both fine?" Alfred asked.

"I'm okay," Conner said.

"Recovering," Max reported. "I didn't appreciate being locked up."

"You couldn't help but get the police involved because we were so publicly taken," Conner realized. "You probably would have been able to find us sooner otherwise."

"Getting away from the police took some doing," Bruce admitted.

"I believe that's the first hostage situation I've been in where I wasn't planted to undermine it," Max commented. "It's an experience I'll have to incorporate into those scenarios should they arise in the future."

"Will you please not say things like that?" Conner asked.

"The event happened and is over. I might as well try to draw some benefit out of it."

"Not every emotional trauma must yield some operational benefits," Alfred said. "It's not something you must draw strength from."

"I'm quite fine," Max said. "This barely registers on the emotional trauma scale."

"Why don't we try to make the most out of your remaining time in Gotham?" Bruce suggested. "This was unforeseen and derailed what I had planned."

Location: the Bat Cave

Match entered, looking around and still bemused by the gigantic penny. His presence had been requested by Batman, and he was curious to find out why he had been invited.

"Match, I have a proposition for you," Batman said.

"What is it?" he asked.

"I want to train you with the idea you'd be my successor as Batman."

"What?" Match asked in shock.

"You have many of the qualities and skills for the job. You'd be an excellent person to eventually replace me."

"You've already taught Nightwing and Robin."

"They are excellent, but they don't want the job. I'd like you to consider it."

"This is a surprise. I did not think that you approved of me."

"I was cautious at first, but you've earned my trust and approval. There aren't many who have done that."

Match was silent as he thought through the implications and possibilities.

"You could begin on a trial basis," Batman offered. "You don't need to fully accept now. Come here on the weekend, and if you think it doesn't work for you, you'll have something to base your decision on."

"Who knows about this?"

"Alfred, Oracle, and Superman."

Match thought about it before saying, "I'll accept for four weekends. That will give both of us an opportunity to see if we should continue."

-----

This was a little longer than I thought it would be and could probably have been its own independent story. Still, it links with the second chapter, so I fit it here.

Any and all comments welcome!


End file.
